Khalifa University And Partners To Host New Joint Lab For Embodied Artificial Intelligence

Khalifa University and partners to host new Joint Lab for Embodied Artificial Intelligence

ABU DHABI, (Pakistan Point News - 08th Dec, 2019) The Khalifa University of Science and Technology, the University of Milan and the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna of Pisa signed an agreement to set up a Joint Lab for Embodied Artificial Intelligence, AI, in Abu Dhabi, signed by Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice President, Khalifa University, and Professor Elio Franzini, Rector, University of Milan, in Milan.

Officials from the two Italian universities attended the signing ceremony. Dr. Derek Woolins, Provost, Khalifa University, and Dr. Ernesto Damiani, Senior Director, AI Institute, Khalifa University, were also present. Additionally, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed for the international travel of doctoral students.

The Joint Lab for Embodied AI will represent the first operational Unimi Laboratory outside Italy. The lab stems from the long-lasting collaboration between Khalifa University and the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, and will represent the physical hub of the cooperative relationship among the three universities, each contributing different but complementary expertise – Khalifa University in AI, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna of Pisa in bio-robotics, and the University of Milan in health sciences.

"We hope establishing this relationship will result in the exchange of faculty, researchers and students among the three institutions," said Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi.

Embodied AI is an interdisciplinary research area that deals with the application of AI to highly complex biological and artificial systems, using computational learning to identify their structures and behaviours.

Dr. Damiani noted, "The Lab at AI Institute at Khalifa University will focus on the integration of AI models and bio-inspired computational paradigms to make decisions that can be understood and assessed by humans, especially when they concern human health and safety."

Commenting on the agreement, Dr. Arianna Menciassi, Vice-Rector, SSSA, and Professor of Biomedical Robotics at the BioRobotics Institute, said, "The proposed Joint Lab has a strong potential to perform world-class research in the area of embodied AI and to attract resources and talent, facilitating scientific exchanges between the UAE and Italy."

The creation of the Joint Lab for Embodied AI at Khalifa University’s AI Institute is expected to be followed by a second facility at the University of Milan.

According to the agreement, the laboratories will host equipment and technology platforms from the three institutions, as well as visiting members of the University of Milan and Sant'Anna of Pisa. Khalifa University scientists will be provided with remote access, as a service to the facilities and technological platforms of the Italian partners.

"The Joint Lab will enhance international competitiveness and encourage participation in research programmes," added Dr. Maria Pia Abbracchio, Unimi Deputy Rector and Vice-Rector for Research.